UT names Cuonzo Martin basketball coach

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT / UTSports.com) - Cuonzo Martin of Missouri State has been named the new men's basketball coach at the University of Tennessee.

Martin will be introduced in a press conference at 2:30 p.m. Monday at Thompson-Boling Arena.

"Cuonzo is among the most promising young coaches in the game, and we are excited about the coaching ability, toughness, and energy that he brings to our program," Tennessee Director of Athletics Mike Hamilton said.

"He has a proven track record of success as a head coach at Missouri State and an assistant at Purdue as well as an outstanding career as a college basketball player. His Missouri State program improved from 11 wins to 26 in just two seasons, and they won the regular season conference championship this year."

According to the Missouri State Bears website, Cuonzo - pronounced CON-zoe - became Missouri State's 16th head men's basketball coach on April 1, 2008. He just completed his third season with the Bears.

A native of East St. Louis, Ill., Martin was a star player at Purdue from 1991-95 for coach Gene Keady and then played four years professionally. He coached at Purdue for eight years under Keady and current Boilermaker head coach Matt Painter.

During his last two seasons, Martin was 179-for-390 (.459) from three-point range to lead the Big Ten, according to missouristatebears.com. He was fourth in the league in scoring as a senior and helped the Boilermakers to their second of three consecutive Big Ten titles. He also was named to Dick Vitale's All-Defensive team in 1995.

Martin replaces Bruce Pearl who had been with the Vols for the past six years.

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by timothy
Location: Oak Ridge
on Mar 29, 2011 at 05:43 PM

HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! Wow i've lived in East Tennessee for four years and any time a black man is put in a position thats not criminal i see alot of upset and angry comments but ya know times are changing for you "GOOD OLE BOYS" but i expect to see Counzo in a traffic stop with "planted Drug and a Gun" i'm glad he's here and The Emancipation Proclaimation finally made it here to Knox county!!! ha ha Watch ya back Counzo if it aint white it aint right still exist here. no matter how they try to twist it!

It is just 1 more reason that Mike Hamilton has 2 B FIRED !!! Cuonzo Martin is another waste of fans money. Hamilton had a chance 2 go over 2 Duke and get 1 of coach K's young assistant coach's such as Collins. Hamilton can buy my tickets back or maybe I'll just send them back 2 him. Think bout it VOL FANS we have a non proven Football coach and now this!!! Dam Dr. Bill ps Go Pat and her lady Vols !!!!!!!

If you'd study what Cuonzo has done with the Missouri State Bears in 3 short years, you'd all be rejoicing! He will be sorely missed by Missouri State fans like myself. He's not only a great coach, but a great man of integrity. Congrats, Vols... prepare to fall in love with this coach! He's about to become a star!

I am so ashamed of the people who call themselves Big Orange fans on this post. You have got to be kidding me. You are either a Vol fan all the time through thick and thin or you are not! Don't get me wrong...I loved Bruce just as much as the next person but the man had no integrity and tarnished the reputation of UT basketball. Give the new coach a chance. Why would anyone such as the coaches from Butler or VCU want to be a coach at UT when more than likely the men's program is going to be punished for at least 2 years? Coach Martin is young and will need to embrace Big Orange Country to be a success at UT.

I guess all of you naysayers had heard of Bruce Pearl before he came here. Sure you all followed Wisconsin-Milwaukee every game they played. LOL Why any coach or player would want to come to this place to listen to the likes of some of you is truly amazing.

i have taken the time to review over what Martin has done in his coaching career. very impressed with the turn around at Missouri St. i am looking forward to his career here at UT. however i do agree that Hamilton needs to go. the violations happened on his watch too. you have got to hold the AD accountable when the coaches he hires break the rules.

WOW! I am truly excited about the new head coach of Tennessee. As a retiree to Tennessee from Indiana only living an hour from LaFayette where Cuonzo played Purdue basketball and held an assist coaching job under Gene Keady. We watched him play all 4 years at Purdue and coach. We love Bruce Pearl and will miss him, but given a chance I think the state of Tennessee will be proud to call Cuonzo there Head Coach in the future. Cuonzo, the Wallpe family from Kokomo, IN. welcomes you to Tennessee and is ready to carry your banner! GO VOLS!!!!!!
red to Tennessee almost 3 years ago

This may be a reasonable choice, if the new coach can relate well to the women's basketball program---recognizing that for the immediate future the women's program will continue to be stronger than the men's. Second the new coach must be able to deal effectively with media pressure. Third, the new coach must know how to recruit.

Bedtime for Bonzo(Cuonzo) and AD Mike Hamilton.
UT had better order some longer black curtains for Thompson to cover up the unsold tickets next year.
No coach with a good record would touch UT with a 10 ft. pole even for umpteen million dollars. Look how they treat their coaches; Pearl,Fulmer, and Majors.
Get used to the SEC cellar UT fans.

This is the most stupid thing Mike Hamilton has done, aside from hiring Lane Kiffin. This guy makes me shake with fear. I see shades of Wade Houston and Tony Jones. Hamilton should be fired tonight. Are you kidding me...I have been a UT fan all my life, but my days of watching basketball will be limited to the Lady Vols!!!

Terrible decision. Watched this guy at Purdue and earlier this season versus a mediocre Vols team. We are going to need larger black curtains. Oh well, I sat through all coaches since Houston. At least I will have empty seats to stretch out in. We will be stuck with this guy for the next 5 years. Will we even be able to pay to light up the scoreboard?

This is stupid you get the basketball program back on track and then fire the coach that got you there. now you hire a new coach that is 61-41 I have a better record than that coaching kids that don't know the game. Mike Hamilton you need a new job. Mr cheeks you need to fire this coach before he gets started or you are going to lose Scotty and Tabis.

Why is this info so important to the general public?? just what are you suppose to do with it? the way you are running this info on TV you think we had a national emergency. knowing who is the new coach right now, tomorrow or even next week will not effect anyones life.

Mens basketball at UT is over. I enjoyed the success
of Pearl while it lasted. It is a shame we didnt go
out and get a top-notch coach. We should have kept Pearl and waited out the sanctions, and fired Hamilton and Cheek. Oh well, know the entire athletic department has been distroyed by the poor leadership at the University of Tennessee.

Once again Mike Hamilton has shown a significant disregard, or lack of judgement, as to the effect of untimely announcements for the sports program. Let's not allow attention to be directed to the upcoming Lady Vols game.

As a Kid I sold cokes at Stokeley and Neyland stadium when it was a horseshoe.My dad was a Professor at UT for 40yr.From Ray Mears to Bruce Pearl,from Doug Dickey to Derek Dooley, and the many Atheletic Dirs. in between. We have never had such a inept AD as Hamilton. As long as he remains we suffer,and my orange blood is regular ole red now.Pink slip him or pink slip me forever. This is no reflection on the new hire! It is a long overdue reflection on Hamilton from me. TY!

Bruce Pearl made this program at Tennesse & they should have stayed with him. They need to get rid of Hamilton. I will no longer support mens baketball at UT as long as Hamilton is there. Bruce has done nothing else hat they all have done he jut got cault, then UT does not stand behnd him.

Unbelievable. 61-41. Big deal. You could have most likely found a qualified coash at the high school level with a better record. Has anyone ever heard of Missouri State. What conference. Wonder if Cheek and Hamilton discussed this hire. If not Hamilton should go. If so they both should go. We are no more in a desperate situation then we were a week ago. We have started at the bottom. Amazing no mention of his recruiting ability. Ever what conference he was in, you may not need to recruit. We are several years away from the program that Pearl built.

A completely unknown quantity on the national scene, may be a very good coach but I think he is exactly what we didn't need. We needed a known big time coach, a guy with name recognition that could keep the current player's and recruits and excite the fan base who have been ignored throughout this process. A Shaka Smart or Brad Stevens could have held the current program together, resurrected the fan base and brought needed new recruits to the program. It appears Jimmy Cheek and Mike Hamilton have thumbed their collective nose's again at the fans, who were shouting through the blogs for the coach's that they wanted, many of them I read about were a much better choice than this coach. This coach was never mentioned in any of blogs, by the media or on the list UT put out. Jimmy Cheek and Mike Hamilton should be held accountable for this hire when the current program falls apart and players leave as well as the recruits and the fans. When this occurs, and the curtains at Thompson Boling go back up because the fans have been dissed, they should both be fired for the obvious incompetence they have displayed by this hire. The 20,000 plus fans who pack Thompson Boling deserve the best coach in America, not an unknown from Missouri.

Keith.... you are a Punk... The Vols do not need fans like you anyway... As a true Big Orange fan, we must Back this guy... None of these hiring problems will ever be solved until Mike Hamilton is GONE!!! Pearl did a good job, but now I honestly think we know why... Maybe he will be more of a coach than a Buddy to go out drinking and partying with... GO BIG ORANGE

the fact that this martin guy took this job tells me he's a 2nd or 3rd rate coach. No respectible coach would take this job without knowing punishmenys from NCAA. Tn mens basketball is hosed!!!! Long live bruce and out with hamilton!!!!

look whether you like it or not pearl was a great coach and will still be one somewhere,but if you are a true vol you will welcome Mr. martin with open mind and heart and bring in quality recruits good luck coach martin and go vols!

Have faith - maybe Tobias Harris and Scottie Hopson will be back plus both signees plus Hall and finally Jordan McRae will get his chance and I look for Golden to be improved. We might be better than this year. Hopefully we will not lose 15 games again.

Give me a break Keith. I doubt you ever had any Vols gear, stickers, etc. if the hiring of Cuonzo Martin to replace Bruce, who did build the program but also destroyed it with his actions, makes you want to support KY. Some players may leave but they may have left anyway and they won't be going with Bruce as I doubt he will get a job any time soon.

Keith, your a tipical band wagon jumper, please stay with Kentucky through football season aswell, we need true Vol Fans To welcome Our new Coach to Tennessee ,Not one who gives his walmart stickers away like a kid.

BRING BACK BRUCE!!
Bruce buil;t the program and now I think it will also leave with him. I have got rid of all my Vols gear, stickers and etc.
I guess I will go back to the team from the north, Go Wildcats!

If you are going "back" to the wildcats then don't let the door hit ya where the good lord split ya. You were nothing more than a bandwagon fan to begin with. Surprised you aren't buying VCU and Butler gear to wear around town when you aren't wearing that Auburn jersey. LOL

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